Door latch and lock mechanism



Nov. 29, 1960 s. GILBERT DOOR LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISM Filed Nov. 28. 1958 INVENTOR. SAMUEL GILBERT Y THOMAS CASTBERG United States Patent OflFice 2,962,320 Ratented Nov. 29, 1960 2,962,320 DOOR LATCH LOCK MECHANISM Samuel Gilbert, Los Augeles, Calif, assignor to Schlage Lock Company, a corporation Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 777,084 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-337) My invention relates to door latches and lock mechanism of the type known as tubular locks and particularly to a novel form of threaded screw post whereby the lock or latch mechanism is secured in the door.

In locks or latch sets known as tubular locks there are usually three units, first a latch bolt unit which is inserted in a hole bored in the edge of the door and secondly, there are a pair of spindle and knob supporting units which are placed on opposite faces of the door and which enter and extend into a transverse hole in the door. The spindle and knob supporting units are usually secured in the door by screws passing through one of the units which enter internally threaded posts carried by the other unit. The internally threaded posts are usually secured by riveting or welding, but this has proven unsatisfactory as the posts often work loose, and as such rotate with the screw making it impossible to properly tighten or clamp the spindle and knob supporting units to the opposite faces of the door.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the structure and mode of securing the posts; and further to provide a structure which secures the posts against endwise movement and which positively secures the posts against rotation about their longitudinal axes.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a tubular type of latch set installed in the door.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 22 Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a view in section showing the spindle supporting housing, the posts and the clamping screws.

Fig. 4 is a view of one of the posts, and

Big. 5 is a cross section of the post taken on line 5-5 Fig. 4.

In the type of tubular lock shown on Fig. l, the three latch set units are shown assembled in a door. The three units are a latch bolt unit A, an outside spindle supporting housing unit B and an inside spindle supporting housing unit C. These units when assembled in a door are interlocked and secured by a pair of screws 2 and posts 3 which are internally threaded at their outer end.

The outside spindle supporting housing consists of three members, first a cylindrical or cup-shaped member 4 having an outer annular flange 5 formed thereon and an inner bearing plate 6 having a bearing opening 7. Secondly, an outer bearing plate 8 of the same diameter as the flange 5. This plate has an outwardly extending bearing hub 9, and third, there is an escutcheon plate 10, the outer periphery of which is spun over the outer edges of the plate 8 and flange 5 as at 11, to secure them together as a unit. As is obvious from Fig. 1, this unit serves to support a spindle 26 on which is secured a knob 27.

The posts forming the subject matter of the present application are best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. They consist of a main body portion 14, a reduced end portion 15, a second reduced portion 16 and an extended portion 17 which is internally threaded to receive the screws 2. The reduced portions 15 and 16 form a pair of shoulders 19 and 20 at each end of the main body portion and it will be noted that the main body portion is provided with one or more wing-like protuberances 21 which may be formed in any suitable manner, for instance by a punch press.

When assembling the outside spindle supporting housing the posts are placed therein at the same time. First the reduced ends 15 of the posts are placed in holes 22 formed in the outer bearing plate 8, secondly, the cu shaped or cylindrical housing 4 is applied; holes 23 being provided in the inner bearing plate 6 to permit the portions 16 and 17 of the posts to pass through. The escutcheon plate is finally applied and its outer portion 11 is spun over the plate 8 and flange 5, thus completing the assembly. The posts are now clamped between the outer and inner bearing plates, as the plates engage the shoulders 19 and 20, thus the posts are secured against endwise removal, and as the posts almost contact the circumferential wall or cylindrical portion of the housing they are securely held against rotation about their longitudinal axis by the wing-like protuberances 21 as any turning of the posts will cause one or another of the winglike members to engage the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 4 as shown in Fig. 2.

The posts shown in this instance are made on a screw machine from round bar stock but they can also be made from non-circular bar stock, for example square bar, in which case the corners would serve the same purpose as the protuberances, namely, to prevent rotation.

The inside spindle supporting housing is identical in construction when comparison is made with the outside spindle housing. This unit supports a spindle 28 on which is secured a knob 29. Holes 22 and 23 are made in the inner and outer bearing plates to receive the screws and posts, and holes 25 are made in the escutcheon plate to permit the screws to pass through. Suffice it to say, that when the units are assembled in a door as shown in Fig. 1 both spindle housings will be securely clamped in place by the screws 2, as endwise movement or turning movement of the posts is positively prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the character described, a spindle supporting housing, said housing having a circumferential wall, a pair of threaded screw posts carried by the housing, means securing the posts against endwise removal from the housing, and a wing-like protuberance on each post engageable with the circumferential wall of the spindle housing, said wing-like protuberances securing the posts against rotation about their longitudinal axes.

2. In a structure of the character described, a spindle supporting housing having inner and outer spaced apart bearing plates and one of said plates having a cylindrical circumferential outer Wall, a pair of posts having spaced apart shoulders engaging said plates and held against endwise movement by the plates, a threaded portion on each of the posts extending through and beyond the inner bearing plate and a wing-like protuberance on each post engageable with the circumferential wall of the spindle housing to secure the posts against rotation about their longitudinal axes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 270,126 Ridgway Ian. 2, 1883 2,764,445 Cerf Sept. 25, 1956 2,795,948 Rayburn June 18, 1957 

